For some reason this didn't go over onto my kindle and the file is now archived. Will have to pick up a copy in the future as this is one I wanted to read but just never did.

It is put together well, slightly magical and engaging. I enjoyed it, you can tell the authors heart is in this book.

I loved this magical tale and the gothic foundations. It was a great read and well-written. If you are after a winter’s tale, then look no further.

Having really enjoyed Midnight in Everwood, I was keen to read this which is based around Swan Lake. It didn't grab me in quite the same way but it's a lovely read in any case.

Unfortunately, the style this and Midnight in Everwood, by the same author, is something I just can't engage with, so despite really hoping for the best from this one I just couldn't finish it. I am so disappointed with these two YA retellings from an otherwise favourite author, but the use of imagery to create an evocative atmosphere felt so over the top and contrived to me, and emphasis was placed on that over everything else, the plot moved very slowly, the characters didn't feel real to me, and some of the imagery felt overdone to the point that some of the sentences stopped making sense, a few times reading the arc I thought they were errors, but, having now looked at the released version, they have made their way into the final book,

The repeated comparisons to sweet and cosy treats meant that my interest waned pretty quickly and some of the similes just didn't seem to make sense to me, like why compare buttercups to egg yolks apart from to say they were yellow, which had already been written "buttercups gleamed yellow like hidden yolks" , but they weren't hidden, they were clearly gleaming yellow, and why would hidden yolks be a good comparison for the atmosphere? On the next page, 'a sudden fit of curiosity...seized his imagination in dazzling yellow', there's 'honeyed stonework' which in itself is a nice description, but combined with 'the days trickled by like warm honey', and 'sudden contentment in warm butterscotch-yellow, like a toffee melting on your tongue', linked with the place name 'Wurthercliffe' just took me out of the stories and conjured up packets of Werther's Originals, so that I found myself increasingly irritated rather than immersed in the atmosphere.

Odette Lakely as a name was too on the nose for me, the choice of name might be explained on page, but I had to stop reading at 25% because I was finding it such a slog and realised how little I cared about what happened to any of the characters, if it isn't, it's a great coincidence that she should be named so aptly for her fate.

Despite my rant, this is all personal preference, if the doubly emphasised similes conjur up feelings and places for you from the first few pages, then you will likely love this book, it continues in much the same way as it starts, or at least it does for the first quarter.

I would however like to recommend Maria Kuzniar's middle grade Ship of Shadows series, they are a 5-star read for me, great plot, great characters, great LGBTQ rep for younger readers, and a really engaging story, so if, like me, these holiday-themed retellings aren't for you, I would still give the authors other books a go, I really love them.

When the snow falls the invitations arrive for the party of the year but who is the mysterious hostess and what is her secret? Upon a Frosted Star is a wonderful twenties fairy tale with Swan Lake as its inspiration. The novel is so evocative of the time and place; the parties are magical and luxurious and I would grab an invite if I could, There is also quite an air of melodrama to the plot which I enjoyed. It is a magical melodrama for a snowy weekend.

That said, some of the characters did feel a bit under developed. I loved the relationship between Forster Marvin and Rose but I did not feel the same about Detta. I think the fantasy elements of the book took away a chance to explore her character. However it was still hugely enjoyable and I did buy it as a gift for a friend at Christmas!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. All the views are entirely my own.

This book is full of enchantments and magic, with beautiful prose the author pulls you in to a world of Gatsby style parties and matches the beauty and tragedy of ballet.

I was utterly immersed in the story but I did find the plot overly long to the point where it began to feel like the descriptive writing was further slowing down the plot, particularly the chapters from Detta’s point of view.

Still, I’m glad I preserved because it was the perfect winters read and the beautiful imagery will stay with me.

“When the nights deepened, swallowing daylight by the hour. When winter whispered its frozen song across the land. When the promise of snow could be tasted in the air. Then, and only then, would the grand doors to the manor house on the cliff be flung open to the night.”

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Upon a Frosted Star’ by M.A. Kuzniar. I subsequently purchased its hardback and audiobook editions.

In 2021 I read and fell in love with ‘Midnight in Everwood’, Kuzniar’s debut novel that was a reimagining of ‘The Nutcracker’. Here the ballet theme is continued, focusing upon Swan Lake creating an enchanting tale that was a perfect winter read.

In 1922 struggling artist Forster is walking with his roommate Marvin through London when they see papers fluttering down. Each one reads: ‘Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning.’ Forster is perplexed though Marvin knows that it is an invitation to a very special party at a manor in the country.

They arrive at the glamorous party and Forster sees a ballerina, with whom he becomes instantly fascinated. In 1923 Forster is on tenterhooks until the day he and Marvin discover new invitations, this time with a theme linked to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s recently published novel, ‘The Beautiful and the Damned’. So it’s all jazz and flappers and of course he meets the mysterious ballerina again.

Marvin discovers that she is Odette Lakely, owner of the manor. Yet she and her aristocratic parents had been listed as lost on the Titanic though she claims that she is no ghost. Her story is revealed to be much stranger and involves her time as the principal ballerina with Rothbart’s Theatre of Enchantments. No further details to avoid spoilers.

While this is not a direct retelling of Swan Lake, it contains many elements from the tale, including the transformation of a woman into a swan and the presence of Rothbart, here a theatre owner, choreographer, and illusionist. Yet is he more?

In between his encounters with Odette Forster’s relationships with his friends are explored as well as his career as an artist in London and France, where he meets Picasso.

In general this felt a darker tale than ‘Midnight in Everwood’ as indeed the tragic elements of Swan Lake contrasts with the lightness of The Nutcracker. I felt that M.A. Kuzniar perfectly evoked the glamour of the 1920s period setting.

Overall, I found that ‘Upon a Frosted Star’ was a stunning mix of ballet, a mysterious curse, modern art, and Jazz Age glamour. It was beautifully written with rich descriptions throughout.

Highly recommended.

I found this book to be okay, I think this type of writing and storytelling can be a hit or miss for me. This is a shame as I hoped to be in love with this book, but I never realised Midnight in Everwood was by the same author which is one on my radar and will still try reading as well.

I found this book very slow to get into - I enjoyed the language and evocative atmosphere. I enjoyed getting to know Forster and Detta - her back story was beautifully portrayed.

The secondary characters - Rose and Marvin - did not really make an impact on the story and I would have liked to know more about Rothbart - the villain of the piece.

A slow burner and a sad ending.

After reading Midnight in Everwood, I was attracted to Upon a Frosted Star. There were certainly both Great Gatsby and Swan Lake inspirations in this book, and I think that it was a positive to draw upon both sources. Kuzniar's writing style is very easily readable, and the classic retellings bring new life into old stories. Overall a fun read!

"Upon a Frosted Star" presents a beautiful yet somewhat shallow dive into a world of cursed love and magic. While the writing is gorgeously evocative, I expected more depth from the characters and their emotional landscapes. The dual POV adds an intriguing layer, and the unraveling of a mystery keeps the plot engaging. A unique retelling of Swan Lake, this book is recommended for fans of enchanting tales, cursed love, and those who revel in magical narratives.

4.5 stars

UPON A FROSTED STAR is a dark, seductive tale set in the 1920s and threaded with a tragic, fairy tale magic.

The book is Swan Lake meets THE GREAT GATSBY, full of the glamour of the 1920s and the heady search to find oneself but instead gets lost along the way. It sparkles with champagne and jazz, but there is a darker side, one that's more seductive, as Forster falls in love and tries to break a curse.

Most of the book is told from Forsters perspective, following his discovery of Odette and how they fall in love, then his quest to break her curse. Alongside this, there are also chapters from her perspective narrating what happened in her past that led to her being cursed. I liked seeing it from her perspective, slowly peeling back the truth of Rothbart and his shows.

It's such an atmospheric book, with that fairy tale feel but also a lot of menace. Though Rothbart is not in it much physically, he casts a long shadow. Odette's home and the time between the snows feels very liminal, the entire book with an ethereal quality that makes it feel just out of touch, like a distorted reflection of our world.

I loved how this ended. It's not how you expect, and maybe some might feel it undermines the promise, the expectation of genre, or makes events before seem pointless, but that is what I love about it. It's a dark fairy tale in the vein of Grimm where things are twisted and broken (though beautiful).

It is a splendid second adult novel and I look forward to seeing what else M. A. Kuzniar writes.

Wow - I haven't read this author's first book, but now I am so desperate to, because this was some of the most gorgeous, evocative writing that I have ever read. I thought it was incredibly magical, it's the perfect wintery book (I felt completely immersed in this frosty, sparkling version of the 1900s). I would love to attend one of these mysterious events, they sound incredible and even just the way the author describes food is stunning. Everything was so decadent, and I just loved this world.

The characters I have to say, were a little... lacklustre, in comparison. I did like them, but sometimes, particularly Forster, I struggled to feel any of his emotions; he felt quite subdued, and even more so when you place him next to the vibrant Detta, or even his friends Marvin and Rose, as you could easily feel the tension and pining between them.

I would absolutely recommend this however; it was compelling, immersive, and the stunning imagery alone makes this worth reading. I also really want to go and see a ballet performance now!

Beautifully magical, Upon A Frosted Star is the perfect read to welcome in these colder days.

The writing creates vivid imagery, particularly in the party scenes that came alive in my mind. I loved that we got two such scenes early on in the story & throughout these remained my favourite.

The story was solid & I particularly enjoyed jumping back to Detta's past to fill in the blanks. For me, the winner here is the cinematic quality to the writing, allowing me to lose myself in an opulent 1920s masked ball or spectacular, theatrical extravaganza.

Entertaining, but a little predictable. I liked the characters and this idea if a mysterious ball... But I don't think I was the right target audience for this book. You will love it if you loved Swan Lake as it's loosely based on that fairytale.

Atmospheric with very cosy and whimsical writing!

A story of magic, sisterhood, relationships and grief, this book was quite entertaining. I really liked the writing and the characters. The pacing got too slow around the middle, but I liked the descriptive writing and setting!

I will definitely be checking out this author's other books!

I’m not sure how this review is going to do this story justice. Magical, beautiful, inspirational and emotional are just a few of the superlatives I could use. I’m a huge fan of Midnight In Everwood and had high hopes for this from MA Kuzniar and let me tell you I wasn’t disappointed.
I read this with my great buddy reader friend, Lucy and we loved everything about this. From the quotes from traditional tales and fairytales to the beautifully descriptive writing, this story is wonderful. Forster and Detta are magical main characters and their love story one to remember.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and HQ for approving me for an ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one with my fellow book buddies.

🎶I love a retelling so when I saw this was a combination of two brilliant stories I was very excited. M.A. Kuzniar’s writing is lyrical and beautifully blends these two stories together. The tragic and dark Swan Lake worked seamlessly against the 1920s backdrop of the Great Gatsby era.

💗As the romance between Detta and Forster developed I couldn’t help but feel that they were doomed. Their story had a star-crossed lovers feel to it but I remained hopeful. Forster was soon infatuated with Detta and the mystery surrounding the curse kept me very intrigued.

📖My favourite part of the story was when we heard from Detta and learnt more about her past. I could have had more sections from her POV, she was a fascinating character.

🧙🏻‍♂️This is a magical story filled with mystery, wonders and romance. I’m excited to see what M.A. Kuzniar writes next.

This is an enchanting and romantic retelling of Swan Lake blended with the Great Gatsby. There is also magic and beautiful, lyrical description.
The author creates a haunting atmosphere in this wonderfully wintery story which stretches several years and follows our two MCs, Forster and Detta. I liked the mystery around the invitations and Great Gatsby-style parties, but also, like the Great Gatsby, there is more than meets the eye to the celebrations.
I loved the imagery and the magic and the dual POV romance, but the plot could be a bit repetitive and the ending was a bit rushed but I enjoyed the story overall!

‘I’ll break your heart,’ she whispered.
‘It’s mine to risk,’ he told her.

Overall, this is a beautiful romantic story with lovely writing. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an eARC of this book!